Key cutter



Dec, 9, 1924.

F. WA NKEL.

KEY CUTTER Filed Sept, 19, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l in, E-

25 4.0' mmm 4 TTOHNEYS Dec. 9, 1924.

F. WANKEL KEY CUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 19, 1922 cranica.

FRANK WANKEL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

KEY CUTTER.

Application nlei September 19, 1922. Serial No. 589,076.

T0 all whom t muy conce-rn:

Be it known that I, FRANK WANKEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key Cutters, of which the following is aspeciication.

This invention relates to metal working tools or machinery and has particular reference to mechanical devices for rapidly and accurately cutting duplicate keys.

In general the present invention relates to that type of machines covered by Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,225,539, issued to me on the 28th day of May, 1917, but in which was shown explicitly mechanism for cutting that type of lock keys known as Yale, Corbin, or the like.

Among the objects of the present improvementl is the provision of a new type of clamp mechanism for holding the master and blank keys for the cutting of the latter as a duplicate of the master or sample key, irrespective of the shape or type of key being formed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and particularly convenient manner of securing the ,clamping device to the carriage so as to expedite the attachment thereof to or removal thereof from the carriage.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view indicating the manner of use in the cutting of one type of key. ,4

Figs. 2 and 3 are`similar views showing modified adaptations of the device.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the clamp showing especially the several selective pairs of grooves.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6 6 of Fig. l indicating especially the quick acting locking means for securing the clamp to the carriage.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional detail on the line 8*8 of Fig. 2.

9 is a detail view of a guide pin.

Fig, 10 1s a detail of a modification of cutting tool.

Referring now more specifically to -the drawings I show my machine as comprising a suitable frame 10 secured rigidly upon the upper end of a pedestal 11, as by means of a clamping boltv12 and supported upon a base 13 which may be secured in any convenient manner to a work bench, table, or the like.

The frame or table 10 is indicated as of a substantially rectangular form, extending upward from which are a pair of spaced bearings 14 and 15 and in which is journaled the operating shaft 16. Between the bearings 14 and 15 is located the cutting tool, indicated as a disk shaped file 18 having a hub 19 suitably bored to receive the shaft 16 and provided with a key way 20 into which projects a pin or lug 21 carried by the shaft. Lateral displacement of the cutter is prevented by contact between the ends of the hub and the bearing members 14 and 15, and the shaft is held in place by means of a screw threaded key 22 tapped into the bearing 15 and whose end extends loosely into a circular groove 23 formed in the end of the shaft. Hence while the key is in place the shaft will be retained in such position that the lug 21 will insure rotation of the tool, but for the purpose of removing or interchanging any tool with another one for a different species of work all that is necessary to do is to loosen the key 22, permitting therefore the shaft 16 to be withdrawn from the tool.

The carriage comprises two side bars 24 and 25 spaced from each other and having slidable engagement in the rabbeted edges of the table 10. These side bars 24 and 25 are rigidly connected in spaced relation by' means of a tie bar 26 and a guide bar 27. These bars are tapped into the bar 25 and locked in the bar 24 by means of set screws 28. It will thus be understood that the carriage frame is slidable freely to and fro within necessary limits along the table 10. Fitted in a pair of aligned holes 29 in the ends of the bars 24 and 25, remote from the tie bar 26 is a locking bar 30 which is both rotatable and slidable longitudinally in the holes 29. At one end the bar 30 is fitted with a weighted lever or arm 31 which extends in normal operative position outward a proximately in a horizontal position. See

ig. 6. Between its ends however the otherwise smooth round bar 30 is provided with a plurality of cam shaped grooves 32 located in general terms on the same side of the bar as the arm 31, or more specifically the deeper end of each groove 32 is at one side of the bar when the arm 31 is extended upward from the bar and when the weighted arm is allowed to fall toward the horizontal plane of the carriage and toward the opposite ends of the frame members 24 and 25, the shaL lower end of the cam groove 32 approaches the horizontal plane of the axis of the bar 30. v

The body of the clamp 33 is generally rectangular in form but provided with a cut out 34 in one side between the two pairs of jaws 35, 36 and 37, 38. Each of the jaws 35 and 37 lis provided with a tonguesuch as 35 or 37', respectively, extending upward into a corres ondingly formed groove 36', see Fig. 8, an between the tongue and the body ofthe jaw above it are arranged a pair of sprin s 36a the normal tendency of which is to raise the upper jaw but which are compressed when the thumb nut 43 is tightened, bringing the upper jaw against the key being c amped.

The table 10 is providedv with a plurality of vertical holes 39 and 40 for the accommodation of selective guide pins 41, the specific design or type of which is dependent upon the character of the work to be performed in the making of any selected type of key. The hole 39 is so located that the active end of the pin 41 when fitted therein, as in Fig. 1, is in the plane of the cutting `tool 18, andthe eiiective distance from the pin to the edge of the tool corresponds. to the effective space between corresponding portions of said pairs of clamps, the guide pin at this time being located within the cut out 34. More specifically, a key to be duplicated, or as it is termed herein a master key A, is secured with its shank in a pair of grooves 42 formed in the adjacent surfaces of the jaws 37, 38 and with its blade a directed toward the opposite pair of jaws in a horizontal plane, the key being clamped in this position by the thumb nut 43 at the top of the clamp. The key blank B of the same type as the master key is then clamped inthe other pair of jaws 35, 36 in the grooves 44 and with its blade b extending in the same direction as the blade a. It will of course be understood that the longitudinal adjustment of the blank will be made exactly the 'same as that of the master key.

The clamp body 33 on its under surface is provided with three pairs of grooves corresponding in diameter to the bars 27 and 30 with which they co-operate, one pair of grooves co-opcrating respectively with the ars 27 and 30 according to each of the selective adjustments of the clamp body 33 on the carriage. Specifically, beneath the jaw 37 and parallel therewith is a groove 45 dee enough to receive the locking bar 30 whi e the other oove of the same pair, indicated at 46, is s allower than the groove 45 because the guide bar 27 received therein is located lower below the top of the carriage. See Figs. 4 and 6. The extent of the surface contact moreover between the groove 46 and the fixed guide bar 27 is considerably less than in connection with the locking bar for the reason that the clamp 33 is movablewith the locking bar laterally of the carriage along said ide bar, while the clamping device and t e carriage together are movable freely along the table 10 at right angles to the guide bar 27. Again, the fact that the groove 46 is shallower and narrower renders it easy to apply the clamp body to or remove it from the carriage. For example, the operator simply dropsthe grooved portion 45 over the locking bar 30 with the clamp body in any suitable position andi thereby allows the opposite portion of the body having the groove 46 to swing in an arc of a circle down into contact with the guide bar 27. Extending horizontally into the groove 45 is a lug 48 which passes freely into the deeper end of the cam oove 32 when the weighted arm 31 is upright, and when the arm is dropped into the position shown in Fig. 6 the cam groove co-operating with the lug 48 irmly grips and locks the clamping body 33 to the locking bar 30. Not only is this true but it is to be observed that in the practice of the machine any vibration thereof tends to cause the weight of the arm 31 to drop further by gravity, thereby increasing the grip between the locking bar and the clamp body. It follows that while the carriage may be moved freely toward and from the rotating tool 18 or the clamp mechanism freely laterally of the carriage there can be no disturbance or misplacement of the clamp body with respect to the guide bar 27, thus insuring that the keys will always be maintained in precisely the same relative positions throughout the cutting operation. When the clamp body is secured to the locking bar as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 and the master and blank keys are clamped in position as shown the clamp body will be gripped to the locking bar 30 as already explained and the machine is ready for operation. The pin 41 located at this time in the hole 39 co-operates with the notches in the master key blade a to determine the extent of movement of the master key either lili) lli toward the tool or laterally of its lane, 16 may obviously be rotated either by hand said. key blade being moved in any irection necessary to cause the guide pin to enter these notches in' succession. While these movements are taking place the blank key is brought in succession into cuttingengagement with the tool 18, whereby notches Will'be formed therein which must be exactly like the notches in the master key. l/Vhen this operation is completed the operator simply lifts the weighted arm 31, releasingthe clamp body so that a new key of any type may be applied to be cut.

The key A of the type shown in Fig. 2, to be duplicated, is applied beneath the clamp jaw 38 with its axis parallel to this clamp and on the side thereof remotelfrom .the groove 42 so'that the straight edge of the key will lie directly against the tongue portion 37 of the jaw 37, making immediately a denite position for this key for the lining up of the blank B to be cut in the correspondingly located portion of the oppositely located jaws, its straight edge being laid against the tongue 35 of the jaw 35. In the cutting of this type of ke the guide pin 41 is fixed in the hole 40, eing locked therein by means of a setl screw 40. In the position shown in Fig. 2 the body 33 is so applied to the locking bar 30 as to bring said bar into the groove 45, this groove being at right angles to the axis of the cut out 34 and the groove 45 above described. Cooperating with this groove 45a is the shallow groove 46u to co-operate with the guide bar 27. A lug 48a extending horizontally into the groove 45l co-operates with the locking cam groove in the bar 30 as above described.

For cutting the side notches in the type of key shown at A, Fig. 3, the master key is clamped between the jaws 35 and 36 so that the notched edge thereof lies within the cut out 34, while the blank B to be cut to match is clamped between the jaws 37 and 38 as shown. For this urpose the pin 4l is fitted in the hole 39 as 1n the rst instance and the clamp body 33 is so applied to the carriage that the groove 45b thereot` will receive the locking bar 30 and the other groove 46b of the same pair will receive the guide bar 27. The lug 48b at this time projecting horizontally into the groove 45b will co-operate with the cam groove in the lockin bar.

A set screw 39 serves to lock the gui e pin in the hole 39.. It will be understood that the form of the clamp lock or body 33 and the relation of the jaws thereto may be shaped according to other types of keys that may be desired to be cut, as, for example, the type shown in the previously mentioned patent, but the operatlon of the clamping means for the clamping bodv and other vfeatures referred to herein would be the same as described herein. The power shaft or by means of or Wheel 49.

Referring again to the guide pin 41 it Will be noted that for certain kinds of work the pin may be provided with active parts 4la and 41", the latter being thicker than the former. Also it will be noted that the clamping screw will bear aga-inst a iat face 4lc so as to insure the proper alignment of the active end withrespect to the cutting tool. As shown in Fig. 4 the lower end oi' \t\he pin is flush with the bottom of the table l() and when the pin is so placed and clamped the thicker portion 41b co-operates with the master key. but when the thinner portion 4la is to be used the pin is dropped down till it is stopped by the shoulder 41i bearing against the set screw.

The modification of cutter 18 is one in which the periphery is of cylindrical form, having laterally directed cutting edges 18a acting parallel to the axis of the key shank B. This type of cutter is sometimes preferable for forming the vnotches in the edges of the blade b parallel to the shank of the key.

I claim:

1. In a key cutting machine, the combination of a relatively fixed table, a carriage movable in right lines along the plane of the table, said carriage comprising a detachable clamp member, said table and carriage including track means movable at right angles to each other, andcam means upon one of the tracks co-operating with a lug upon the clamping member to lock the clamping member to said track.

2. In a key Acutting machine, the combination with a relatively fixed table, of a power applied to the pulley in Fig. 10

' clampingmeans, and a track means, said clamping means being slidable along the track means, a member of said track means being slidable and rotatable relatively to the fixed table, said member being provided with cam means co-operating with said clamping means to rigidly engage the clamping means with said member.

3. In a key cutting machine, the combination of track means comprisin a rotatable locking bar, clamping means aapted to rest upon said track means, and cam means cooperating With said bar and said clamping means and actuated by the rotation of said bar to lock the clamping means to said bar so as to prevent the accidental displacement of said clamping means from said track means.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the means for rigidly fastenin said clamping means is automatically sel retained.

5. In a key cutting machine, the combination with a relatively fixed table and a carriage movable in right linesy along the plane v the clampin oi2 the table, said carrie e includi a pair of parallel side bars an means to old the bars in lixed spaced relation to each other and including a guide bar, of -a locking bar movable transversely of the carriageparallel to said guide bar, a key holding clamping device movable along the uide bar inde endentl of the carriage an movable wit the guide bar and carriage in a direction at right angles to the first mentioned movement, said clamping member being provided with means for securing it in an one of several diierent positions to the loc ing to the type of key to be cut, and automatically operated means to fix the clamping member to the locking bar.

6. In a key cutting machine, the combination with a carriage including a rigid guide bar .movable bodily to and fro in a certain direction and a locking bar slidable with respect to the carria e in a direction parallel to said guide bar, o a key clamping device slidable along the guide bar and having a groove to receive the locking bar, and means to clamp the clamping device and locking bar together through the rotation of the locking bar.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which device and t e lockin bar comprises a cam shaped oove forme in the surface of the locking ar and a lug projecting into said locking bar groove, substantially as set forth.

8. A device as set :forth in clalm 6 in which the locking means between the clampin device and the locking bar includes a weigted arm extendin laterally from the locking har, said locking bar being formed with a cam sha ed groove, the deeper end of which lies in t e same plane approximateldy ai said weighted arm, and a lug carrie by the grooved portion yaoi the clamping device which extends freely into'the deeper end of g bar accordmeans between the clamping means may rest upon the track, and means for securing the clamping means to the.

10. The herein described key cutter comprising means for holding and manipulating a master key and a'blank key to be formed similar thereto, and guiding means for the .key holding means., said guiding means 1ncludin a pin having a plurality of difierently ormed parts for selective co-operation with the master key, said pin being adjustably fixed to a table, the differently formed parts .of said pin being arranged adjacent to one end thereof while the other end of the pin lies iiush with said table to locate the pin A with one of said parts in operative position.

11. rl`he herein described key cutter comrising means for holding andmanipulatmg a master ke and a blank key to be formed similar thereto, and guiding means for the key holding means, said guiding means including a nin having a plurality of differently formed parts for selective cooperation with the master key, said pin being adjustably connected to and held by a table, the two differently formed parts of the pin being adjacent to one end thereof and the other end of the pin being arranged in connection with selective locating means to determine the proper elevation of the pin according to which of said parts is to be used. In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

FRANK WANKEL. 

